


Thunderstorms, clouds, snow and a slight drizzle

by Aaeris



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Antisemitism, Childhood Friends, Explicit Sexual Content, Homophobia, M/M, Racism, Romance, Sexism, Violence, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 01:49:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15232734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaeris/pseuds/Aaeris
Summary: It's 1930 and Derek Hale moves to Poland with his family; he hates everything about it; the cold, wet grass, the snow melted into puddle of mud and that ridiculous drizzle early in the morning that makes his bones freeze, but most importantly, he hates his annoying little neighbor with the missing shoe and the missing front tooth.





	Thunderstorms, clouds, snow and a slight drizzle

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. This story is set in the 30' and 40', so it deals with racism, sexism and homophobia of that time. Read with caution.   
> 2\. I'm not an historical expert when it comes to World War II, but this story is more about the journey of two boys in love in that time. I will do my best not to be disrespectful, and I won't delve too deep into the politics, the motives or details about this war. My knowledge about it is what I had learnt in school, or general things that most people know, so I'm sorry for any mistakes or any historical innacurancies you may found. I wanted to write a story set during World War II because I'm fascinated by this subject and the stories of any Teen Wolf/Second War are severly lacking.   
> 3.There will be around four, five chapters  
> 4\. The title is Twenty One Pilots' lyrics from their song Migraine.

**Thunderstorms, clouds, snow and a slight drizzle**

**Part 1**

_Whoever saves one life, save the world entire_

_-Itzhak Stern_

_Schindler's list_

__  


**Summer, 1930**

A slight drizzle is in the air, sticking to Derek’s cold skin. As he runs through the property of what is supposed to be his new home for the foreseeable future, he ignores his mother’s cries for him to come back home. He stumbles and falls ungracefully on the wet grass, swearing loudly. He sighs in defeat, cursing a deity he doesn’t believe in. It’s unfair, Derek thinks.

Everything is cold, wet and grey. _Poland_ is cold, wet and grey and he doesn’t like it. He _hates_ it, here. Only a day in this European country, and he’s ready to go back home. His friends were all excited about him, telling him about how European girls are hot, and about how European boys are gentlemen with good manners, and about how the sights are breathtaking. So far, the girls and the boys are cold and frowning, even if it’s in the summer. And the sights are grey, and disappointing. So far, Europe sucks. He misses his friends, his beach house, the warm sand between his toes, the palm trees, the California sun…

He’s so lost in his thoughts and his anger he has towards his parents for bringing him here that he almost doesn’t hear the high, gentle voice of a young boy.

‘’Why so sad?’’ the young voice says. Derek, frowning, looks to his left and right, but doesn’t see anybody. ‘’Up there, silly,’’ the voice says with a giggle. Derek looks up in the willow tree near him and he sees a young boy, probably younger than him, with his feet tangling in the air, and a toothy grin.

‘’You can’t be here,’’ Derek says hastily as he gets on his feet, ignoring the wetness on his pants. ‘’This is private property,’’

The young boy rolls his eyes and jump off of the branch he was sitting on. He doesn’t even reach Derek’s shoulders, but even his height couldn’t stop him from confronting Derek.

‘’You must be Derek,’’ he says with all the sass in the world. Derek instantly finds him annoying. ‘’Your sister told me you were a joy. Note the sarcasm,’’

Derek doesn’t know what to think, or do. So he repeats himself: ‘’This is private property. My home you’re on, uninvited.’’

‘’This is my home, too,’’ The young boy replies arrogantly.

‘’Is that so?’’ Derek asks defiantly and the younger boy nods vigorously. Derek can see fire crackles in his big, brown eyes. He points to something far away and because of the drizzle, it’s hard to see, but Derek can see a vague shape.

‘’Do you see it?’’ he asks, but don’t wait for an answer. ‘’That’s where I live with my parents. My mom is going to be your polish teacher,’’

For Derek, it all makes sense now. He remembers his mother telling him as he slowly packed his things in his old house that a woman is going to teach him polish, and that this teacher’s husband is actually his dad’s old friend and how they have a son Cora’s age. He had tuning it out, not wanting to hear more about his life in Poland. If his mom believed he needs to learn a foreign language, he does not wish to hear how long he’s going to stay here. His big sister, Laura, is convinced it’s only temporary. Derek is not so sure.

‘’But don’t fret,’’ the young boy says, bringing him back to reality. ‘’My mom is a good teacher. She taught me English at a very young age, but if you want, I can teach you, too,’’ he says excitingly and now Derek can decipher the slight accent, but it’s almost unnoticeable.

‘’I won’t be staying long,’’ Derek says coldly. ‘’I don’t need to learn anything,’’

The young boy clicks his tongue in disagreement and Derek must admit, the boy looks and acts older than his years. ‘’That’s not what your mom told me.’’ He retorts. ‘’Your dad is an architect. He says there’s a lot of good opportunities in Europe in architecture,’’

‘’Are you always this nosy?’’ Derek asks with a harsh tone, but the younger boy choose to ignore his blunt personality.

‘’My dad always said that to me. Said I should mind my own business, or else, it’s going to bring me into trouble,’’

‘’Your dad is a wise man, you should listen to him,’’ Derek replies as he starts walking away from the young boy, but he follows him.

‘’I’m Mieczyslaw Stilinski,’’ he introduces himself, but Derek just keeps walking, trying to ignore the young boy. He doesn’t want to do anything with this boy, with this new house, with this new family who’s apparently going to live with them.

‘’What kind of a name is that?’’ he finds himself saying. Mieczyslaw huffs.

‘’And what kind of a name is Derek Hale?’’

‘’Mine is actually easy to pronounce.’’

‘’That’s not a nice thing to say,’’ Mieczyslaw pouts. Derek rolls his eyes, walking even faster.

‘’Listen, Miechie- Miche-Mi-‘’

‘’Mieczyslaw!’’ the young boy cuts in Derek’s struggle to say his name.

‘’Don’t care,’’ Derek mutters. He stops walking abruptly and turns around to face the smaller boy. He can see he’s missing a sock, and his shirt is untucked o his pants. ‘’Look, I just want to be left alone. I don’t want to be here in the first place.’’

Before Mieczyslaw can argue, a loud thunder is heard, the grey sky is becoming almost black with dark, thick clouds. Derek shakes his head and groans loudly.

‘’This sucks.” He says, frowning down at the younger boy.

‘’It’s going to rain, soon,’’ Mieczyslaw replies unhelpfully. ‘’Do you want to go inside and drink some hot cocoa? My mom makes the best hot cocoa!’’

Derek, filled with bitterness, grits out: ‘’Leave me alone!’’ He lightly shoves Mieczyslaw to make him understand how serious he is. The younger boy, his big brown eyes once filled with wonder, now look stern, darker as he looks up at Derek with a severe frown.

‘’I’ve heard Americans were not well-mannered. You proved me right!’’ he says, crossing his arms over his small chest. ‘’You’re just a stupid boy,’’ he adds as he stomps his foot to the ground.

‘’And you’re just an annoying little brat, with a stupid name!’’ Derek retorts. Just as Derek is about to leave, leaving the boy he despises behind, rain began to fall heavily. The older boy, angry, throws his arms in the air. ‘’Stupid, stupid rain!’’ He points a finger at the younger boy, already soaking wet to the bone. ‘’Your country is shit! It always rains, it’s always cold, it’s shit!’’ he yells.

‘’Take it back,’’ Mieczyslaw calmly says, unbothered by his soaking clothes or his wet skin, or his glistening hair falling in his eyes.

‘’I hate it here,’’ Derek continues on his rant. ‘’Poland is stupid, everything here is _dull_!’’

‘’Take it back!’’ the younger boy almost screams, little fists in a ball.

‘’No!’’ Derek retorts. ‘’It’s-‘’

Before Derek has the chance to say anything else, Mieczyslaw stomps on Derek’s right foot, and the raven-haired boy howls in pain, jumping on one foot, clutching the other. When Derek looks up from his hurt foot, obviously ready to yell at the other boy, he was gone.

**-X-**

So it goes like that; Mieczyslaw and Derek can’t get along. It’s not that Mieczyslaw is mean, per say, but he’s frustratingly annoying. Derek calls him a little shit, and Laura chastises his brother for that, but reality is, the younger boy is like a little demon. Derek is sure of it.

‘’Don’t be mean or rude to this boy,’’ Laura had told him on multiple occasions when the mention of their new neighbor arise. ‘’You’re eleven years old. He’s only eight, you should know better.’’ She always says as they trot down the small village, trying to get familiar with their new environment before the new school year began.

Laura is a beautiful girl. Only a teenager of sixteen, but she’s already turning heads. Just like Derek, she hates it here. She longs to go back home and be with, what she claims to be, her one true love. Derek isn’t sure if she ever going to see him again. Little does she know that boy is going to fight in a war he barely understands in a few years, and will lose his life. But just like their mother, she’s very understandable and very patient towards their young neighbor.

It’s just little things that Mieczyslaw does that makes Derek’s skin crawl, like going inside their home uninvited, even when Talia, Derek’s mother, welcomes him with open arms like he’s an honorary Hale. They’ve been here for two weeks, and Mieczyslaw makes it very clear that he’s going to be a permanent person in their life.

He also doesn’t ask, but demands Talia’s famous chocolate chip cookies, he asks again and again if Derek or Cora can play with him, he asks Laura millions upon millions of irrelevant questions, he innocently asks insensitive questions about the world war one to Derek’s father, but the whole family is just so patient, and kind to him. Derek just wants to shake him until the questions, and the childish shriek and the hyperactive energy just _stop._

Derek didn’t ask for a little brother, or a new friend. He just asked for some peace, and time to process the fact that an entire ocean separate him from his friends.

**-X-**

The Hale family always had been a wealthy family; it’s always been a business family with good money coming in. Working in architecture, Leo Hale is a successful man, with beautiful projects to his name. Because he creates, and built wonderful monuments, and houses, it’s obvious that the Hale’s next estate in Poland is going to be marvelous.

It’s a Victorian house, five story high. It’s built of solid rocks, and vines grow along the foundations, giving it an almost eerie romantic look. Large windows let spill sunshine all day long, and a large staircase in front of the front door leads to five big bedrooms. The upper two floors are decorated in [Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_style) and [Victorian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era) style. The driveway is in circle, putting in evidence the fountain in the middle of it. Derek’s favorite thing about his new house, though, is the gardens. It’s quite large, leading up to a small lake in the far back. Many willow trees decorate the grounds, giving it a sad, longing look, especially early in the morning with a thick drizzle.

This estate once belonged to a rich man, and where the Stilinski family is now residing used to be where the servants were living. It surprised Derek at first that his father was going to let these total strangers live with them, on the same property. Derek is used to see his father as this distant, brilliant man. He’s always been soft, and gentle with his children, but he never let empathy clouds his judgment. _You don’t make money by making friends_ , son, his dad always told him, teaching him the ropes to be a successful businessman.

But there’s something special about Noah Stilinski and his family; something so special that let Leo Hale caves and brings his guards down.

Leo Hale and Noah had met when they fought in world war I. They bonded over two things; they were both Americans, and they both left a girlfriend back home. Through sweat and tears, they became best friends as they lived the horror of the trenches. Noah saved Leo’s life and to this day, he owes him many favors. Leo came back to California, married the woman he had left behind, started his business career and had children. After the Great War, Noah came back to America to reunite with his girlfriend in New York. Both are polish, and they were homesick from their country, so they moved back to Poland, where Claudia teaches polish literature and the English language. Noah was injured during the war, so he couldn’t find any good work. After a few miscarriages, they were finally the proud parents of a young boy, but due to Noah’s useless leg, times were hard for the Stilinskis. But, as miracles and luck go, a long lost friend offered them a place to stay, free of charge, and it was Leo’s first and last gift he ever did to a friend. 

**-X-**

‘’No, it’s not right,’’ Claudia gently corrects Derek. ‘’It’s Kupować,’’ she says, smiling at Derek. ‘’You pronounce the w like you say v, and the c, makes the sound _sh,’’_ she tells him. ‘’Now, can you tell me what it means?’’

Derek just shrugs, looking outside of the kitchen window. Claudia sighs.

‘’Derek, make an effort. You know this,’’ Claudia reminds him.

‘’I don’t know. And I don’t care,’’ Derek replies, crossing his arms over his chest. His little sister, Cora, raises her hand.

‘’I know, I know!’’ she says, poking her tongue to make a grimace to her brother.

‘’That’s great, Cora, but I want Derek to answer,’’ Claudia says. Laura huffs beside her younger sister, doodling in her textbooks.

Derek ignores his sisters and shrugs again.

‘’I don’t care,’’ he repeats. ‘’I’m going to go as soon as I’m 18, if we haven’t already left. I won’t need to learn it,’’

‘’What are you going to do, when you want to go to the store?’’ Claudia asks, not unkindly, but understanding.

‘’I’ll speak English,’’ Derek petulantly replies. Claudia observes Derek for a long minute.

‘’Thinking everybody speaks English is a big oversight. What if the clerk doesn’t understand you?’’

A flurry of movement comes through the kitchen door and Mieczyslaw starts speaking rapidly to his mother in fluent polish.

‘’Watch and learn, Derek,’’ Cora whispers to her brother as they listen to their neighbor talks excitingly to his mother. After a few urgent words exchange between mother and son, the young boy smiles toothily to the other children in the room. ‘’Mom agreed to let us go to Krakow!’’ Claudia gives his son a warning glance and he quickly corrects himself. ‘’Well, she only agrees to it if Laura would come along, because you’re 16 and you can watch over us,’’

‘’I don’t need my sister to watch over me,’’ Derek grumbles. Laura, back straight, hair perfectly coiffed and her sunny dress flowering around her, she’s always happy and pleased when adults take her seriously. She nods at Claudia.

‘’Of course I will go!’’ she says, smiling at the younger boy. ‘’It’s such a sunny day, too, it’ll be a waste to stay inside.’’ She says as she stands up. ‘’Plus, we’ll make good practice of what we’ve learn so far,’’

Cora, eager to explore new territories, almost throw her textbooks to the ground. She’s not as studios as her big sister, and even though she learns the native language of the country more quickly than her older siblings due to her young age, she’s an outdoorsy girl. Talia and Laura worry that she will become a lady-boy, a girl who likes to play in the mud and prefer -god forbid- pants to dresses.

‘’We’ll continue the lesson tomorrow. It’s still summer, go have fun,’’ Claudia declares. ‘’And you,’’ she says as she tackles Mieczyslaw sides just to hear him laugh, this sound so pure and loved to her ears. ‘’Behave in the city,’’

‘’Yes, mom!’’ he says between laughter. ‘’I love you,’’

Cora, excited to cut the lesson short, forcefully grabs Mieczyslaw’s arm to lead him out of the house. They have moved here a month ago now, and this newly friendship he has with her is rather new. At first, Cora was like her brother; mistrustful, bitter and sad. But over time, she got over it and befriended the only kid her age, Mieczyslaw.

Claudia leaves them be, but Derek don’t move from the table. Mieczyslaw stops before Cora can drag them out of the kitchen, Laura hot on their trails.

‘’I’m not going,’’ Derek declares. Laura rolls her eyes and throw his arms in the air.

‘’Here we go again,’’ she murmurs, annoyance and anger seeping through her pores.

‘’Why not?’’ Cora asks. ‘’You love the city!’’ and it’s true, Derek loves Krakow. They live in a small village, roughly half an hour from the city. It’s bustling with life, buildings are amazing to look at, and the girls are easy to look at. But every time, he always goes with his parents, or with Laura. He never had to go with _him._ He tries avoiding him at all cost. He’s not spending an afternoon with him.

No. _Nope._

‘’Okay, fine,’’ Laura says with a hint of bitterness lacing his voice. She’s tired of dealing with stupid boys. She suddenly has an idea and a smile grace her lips. ‘’You can stay,’’ she says. ‘’But, I will tell father that you don’t care about these lessons and you give Mrs. Stilinski a hard time,’’ she says. ‘’She’s too kind to say anything, in fear to put you in trouble, but as your sister, I don’t care if you find trouble with father,’’

Cora gapes as she looks up at her older sister, while Mieczyslaw looks with interest and mirth as blackmail between sister and brother unfold in front of his eyes.

‘’You wouldn’t dare,’’ he growls.

‘’Try me,’’ Laura challenges. ‘’Do you really want to spend the rest of the summer caged in your bedroom with only your textbooks to keep you company?’’

‘’Fine,’’ Derek says coldly, and looks up at his sister, secretly wishing to be taller than her and counting the days until that day comes true.

‘’Come on, now,’’ Laura says in her big sister voice. ‘’And stop whining,’’ she concludes as she digs her nails in Derek’s upper arm, dragging him out of the kitchen.

Mieczyslaw comes to stand next to Derek as they walk out of the house and, with a big and proud smile, he says ‘’Just so you know, Kupować means _To buy,’’_ Derek grits his teeth; this is exactly why he can’t stand the younger boy; he’s a little know it all and it annoys him to no end. He choses to ignore him.

-X-

Cora tugs at Laura’s hand excitingly to go into a candy shop. The streets are busying with life, people talking in a strange language Derek can’t even understand and Stiles, still by his side, seems at ease, content.

‘’Do you want to go eat some pastries?’’ the young boy asks. ‘’Did you ever had a Babka? Or Chalka?’’ he asks, beaming at the sullen boy. ‘’These are the best!’’

Derek shakes his head. ‘’Okay… we can go where your sisters went. They have candyfloss and chocolate fountains! And-‘’

Derek ignores the younger boy in order to see the candy shop he’s talking about, but it looks like Alice in Wonderland invade the place. Everything is pink candy, with colorful posters, the doors are painted in red and white stripes to look like candy canes and he can see the overly cheerful employees inside the store wearing ugly, ridiculous hats. Most costumers are little children and their moms. He can see Laura buying something for Cora. It’s just utterly childish. He’s eleven years old; he’s not going in that place.

A wicked, ugly idea comes to his mind and he voices it before he changes his mind. ‘’Or, we can ditch the girls and have our own little afternoon,’’ he says to Mieczyslaw and it must be the longest sentence he had ever said to the younger boy.

‘’I don’t know…’’ he says, hesitant. ‘’Mama told us to stay together,’’ he says, unsure.

‘’Are you always listening to what your mom says?’’ Derek retorts dryly.

‘’No,’’ a blush covers his face.

‘’Prove it,’’ Derek says, crossing his arms over his chest.

‘’Fine,’’ he says. ‘’I will prove that I’m a big boy, too,’’ he says confidently.

‘’Okay, then,’’ Derek smirks. He pushes him a little to start walking before his sisters notice their disappearance. ‘’what’s fun to do, here?’’ he asks after a while of walking.

‘’I don’t know… Oh, oh! I know! There’s a park not too far and there’s a lake where there’s a boat race!’’

‘’Boat race?’’ Derek repeats, arching an eyebrow, unimpressed.

‘’Yeah,’’ Mieczyslaw says excitingly. ‘’Well, not real life boats, but toy boats! You can even rent a boat and everything! Mama brings me there often. Come on!’’

The park is not too far where they are; it looks a little bit like Central park, but smaller. Derek can already hear people cheering near the small pond, and the younger boy is pointing at the boats excitingly and fortunately for Derek, he’s too focus on the event to actually notice when Derek slips away.

When he’s at a good distance from Mieczyslaw, he’s finally at peace. ‘’I’m not doing babies stuff,’’ he murmurs as he goes back to the bustling streets of the city, entranced by the beautiful girls passing by who give him a shy smile, and the stores he’s actually interested it. When he sees a music store, any thought about Mieczyslaw is all but forgotten.

That is, until a very angry Laura comes barging into the music store, a few hours later. Derek, who was looking at different vinyls, turns around sharply when Laura’s nails tugs painfully in his upper arm.

‘’Where the hell have you been?’’ she demands to know, ignoring the looks of other patrons in the store. ‘’I’ve been looking for you for hours, after you decided to abandon Mieczyslaw.’’ She says coldly.

‘’Laura-‘’

‘’The parents are furious! Mieczyslaw parents are furious!’’

‘’He was in your supervision to begin with,’’ Derek retorts, but Laura laughs humorlessly.

‘’Yeah, after you decide to leave with him without me knowing about it! How can you be so irresponsible?”

‘’It’s not big deal,’’ Derek says, frowning. ‘’He wanted to see that stupid boat thing, he said he goes there often. Surely he can find his way back,’’

Laura shakes her head, deeply disappointed in his brother. ‘’He’s still just a little boy. He didn’t know where you were, Derek.’’ She sighs, and straightened her back. ‘’He’s really frightened. I went home with him and Cora when I couldn’t find you. The parents want to talk to you as soon as you get home,’’

Laura grabs his arm forcefully and she really should stop manhandling him, but he’s probably not in the best place to negotiate.

**-X-**

Leo Hale is a scary man. He’s tall, built like a wall brick, with a thick, trimmed dark beard. He had never lay a hand on his children, and he never will. But the disappointment and judgment radiating from him, is what scares Derek the most. He’s no stranger to arguments with his father, or to his father giving him the cold shoulder when he had been naughty, but somehow, this time it’s different. It’s maybe the fact that he has now an audience, with his mother, and Claudia and Noah in the room. Mieczyslaw’s parents were the first to speak, telling him what he did was wrong, but they were gentle in their approach. Talia was silent, judging that this is not her place to talk, even though her green eyes are calculating and cold.

‘’Noah and Claudia may be uncomfortable by yelling and reprimanding someone else’s child, but you’re _my_ child,’’ Leo starts in a grave, chilling voice.

‘’Dad-‘’

‘’Don’t,’’ he says. ‘’You’re irresponsible. You’re a foolish child!’’ he exclaims, raising his voice.

‘’It was just a joke,’’ Derek grumbles.

‘’I don’t want to hear your excuses,’’ Leo spits. ‘’You will get punished,’’ he states. ‘’You’re grounded. Until school starts. You’re going to stay in your bedroom, only allowed to go in the bathroom and to go eat.’’

‘’Leo,’’ Noah starts, but Leo shakes his head.

‘’This is my son, Noah,’’ Leo says, pointing a finger at his son. ‘’I give the punishment I see fit,’’

‘’And this also concerns our son, Leonard,’’ Claudia says firmly.

Leo pinches the bridge of his nose with two fingers, sighing deeply. Derek still sits in the big, plush leather chair next to his father’s mahogany antique desk in his office. Talia still stands by the door, always silent, but observant.

‘’Claudia, you’re too kind hearted for your own good,’’ Leo says in a gentler tone.

‘’And you can be too harsh, sometimes,’’ she replies.

‘’There’s just a month left of vacations,’’ Noah says. ‘’Let the boy have this.’’

‘’What do you suggest, then?’’ Leo asks, not unkindly.

‘’Derek has to apologize to our son,’’ Noah says and Claudia nods in agreement.

‘’And… that’s it?’’ Leo asks, perplexed. ‘’With no punishment, Derek cannot be a man.’’ He retorts.

‘’Perhaps what he needs is to see his errors by facing them; by apologizing face to face with the person he had wronged.’’ Talia speaks for the first time. She never speaks out of turn, or she never disagree with her husband, always standing by his side, just like a housewife needs to. But when she speaks up her mind, it’s always full of wisdom.

Leo is silent for a moment, and he looks at Derek, studying him. Derek is frowning, but will accept his punishment.

‘’Perhaps you’re right,’’ he mumbles as he crouched to be on Derek’s level. ‘’You think you can do that?’’

Derek startles, looking up to see wide, green eyes, so similar to his but his dad’s have crow’s feet. He nods eagerly, still surprised that he won’t spend the next few weeks in his bedroom, and don’t get a spanking. He _hates_ those.

‘’I will do that, sir,’’

‘’Okay,’’ Leo murmurs as he stands up. When Derek stands up too and goes running out of the room, Leo catches his arm. ‘’I love you, son,’’ he says. ‘’Now, be a good boy, okay?’’ Derek nods, beaming at his father.

‘’Okay, dad. I love you too. I love you too, mama!’’ he says as he runs out of the room. His father may be tall and imposing, and he knows how to keep his children in line, but he’s always been fair. They punish those who deserve it, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love his family.

**-X-**

Mieczyslaw forgives easily; Derek learns that rather quickly when, after his discussion with his parents, he half heartedly apologizes and the younger boy wraps his skinny arms around him, looking up at him like he hung the moon.

That was that, then.

He pushes the boy away when the hug becomes uncomfortable and walks away from a confused, heart broken little boy.

**-X-**

It’s a couple of days later, on a rainy day, that Derek overhears a conversation between Laura and Mieczyslaw. He was about to go to his room and fetch a book to read, when he stops in his track near his sister’s room and as he peeks inside the ajar door, he can see Mieczyslaw sprawls on Laura’s bed as she choses a dress. 

‘’I like that one,’’ Mieczyslaw says brightly, pointing to a beautiful baby blue dress with lace. Derek rolls his eyes, ready to leave them be. If they want to waste their Sunday playing dress up, it’s their problem; that is, until Laura speaks.

‘’It has to be the perfect dress!’’

‘’Why, anyways?’’ he asks innocently. Laura hesitates a moment.

‘’Okay, but promise me you won’t tell my parents? Or my siblings?’’

‘’Scout’s honor!’’

‘’A boy from town asked me out on a date,’’ she says in one breath. ‘’Isn’t exciting?’’ Mieczyslaw nods vigorously. ‘’Obviously his English is kind of broken, but I think I’m getting better with your language,’’

‘’My mom told me your progress is really great!’’ he compliments.

‘’And he’s so charming, and kind, and he has the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen!’’ she gushes.

‘’Well, I think the yellow dress is really great for a first date,’’

‘’Look at you, all expert in dresses,’’ Laura smiles as she runs her fingers through his hair. Derek is about to leave, not caring about that date. He can be a lot of things, but snitching to his parents is not one of them.

But something else caught his attention. His name.

‘’Why doesn’t Derek like me?’’ Mieczyslaw asks out of the blue. Derek can feel his sister going still, not knowing what to say. He can feel her moving on her bed, until she’s sitting next to the younger boy.

‘’Honey, Derek doesn’t hate you. I mean, he hates everybody,’’ she says, trying to lighten up the mood.

‘’But he doesn’t like me,’’ he says sadly. ‘’I see him laugh with you guys. But as soon as I join you, he shuts down like I personally offended him.’’

‘’He just has a hard time to adjust to this new life, that’s all there is to it. He lost his friends-‘’

‘’You did, too,’’ he interrupts her.

‘’Yeah, we all did. But he took it the hardest. But just give him some times. I’m confident that once he starts school, he’s going to be just fine. You guys are going to be just fine,’’

‘’I stomp on his foot,’’ he murmurs morosely.

‘’Why’s that?’’ Laura asks.

‘’I stomp on his foot when we first met,’’ he says louder.

‘’Well, that’s a weird way to make an impression,’’ Laura comments with an easy smile. ‘’But stomping on someone’s foot is hardly a good reason to stay mad at someone.’’ Laura says, then adds: ‘’Unless you’re Derek. I once ate the last piece of his birthday chocolate cake, and he was mad at me for weeks. He’s quite stubborn,’’ she says, shrugging.

‘’I had a good reason, though,’’ the young boy says. ‘’He insulted my country. And he made fun of my name!’’

‘’Well, those are legitimate reasons to stomp on someone’s foot,’’ Laura says in all seriousness, but a smirk graces her lips. ‘’It’s true that your name is quite difficult to pronounce,’’ she says.

‘’I never had to deal with foreigners saying my name, before,’’

‘’Did you ever think about a nickname?’’

‘’A nickname?’’ Mieczyslaw repeats, perplexes.

‘’Yeah! It can be cool, right? And let’s be honest, we butcher your name,’’

‘’What would you name me, then?’’ he asks, uncertain.

‘’Well… you never had a nickname, before?’’ he shakes his name, but thinks about it.

‘’My mom used to call me Mi to shorten my name.’’

‘’It’s not that great,’’ Laura says, honestly.

‘’Maybe- oh, oh! My dad told me that his friends in the army used to call him Stiles, because of our last name. It was a thing they did; having nicknames from their last names.’’

Laura mouths the word and exclaims: ‘’That has a nice ring to it!’’

Derek even surprises himself when he tries to say Stiles, and likes how it rolls so nicely.

And to this day, Mieczyslaw demands to be called Stiles and he will only respond to that name.

**-X-**

**Winter, 1932**

Two years have passed, and Derek and Stiles still don’t get along. They even drifted farther apart. The only common ground they have is sharing the same property but on school ground, they act as strangers. Stiles had tried many times to make amend, but Derek is stubborn as a mule. Stiles gets along fairly well with the Hale sisters, but it’s just a shame that they go to the girl school, and Laura, already on the edge of adulthood, is going off to college, soon. Perfectly bilingual now, she’s going to the prestigious Jagiellonian university. The good thing about it, Stiles thinks, is that the college is in Krakow, so they can see each other quite often. People in town side-eyed her now, because she’s one of the few ladies to get accepted in the university to become a doctor.

‘’Don’t ever think you’re not worth it,’’ Laura always says. ‘’If you’re a girl, you can do anything a boy does,’’

‘’Well, one day, I’m not going to marry,’’ Cora declares as her mother shakes his head, trying to understand what she did to God in another life for having a daughter who wants to study, and another daughter who doesn’t want to get married and prefer to keep her hair short.

Derek is proud of his sisters nevertheless.

Derek, even though his classes were all in English to make the transition easier, begrudgingly learnt polish.  He can now understand when Stiles insults him in polish, and he can retort with vicious intent to hurt Stiles’ feelings. Their parents gave up a long time ago to make them be friends, with Claudia sadly shaking her head when they butt heads, or when Noah says ‘’Boys will be boys,’’ every time they start a fight. Leo barely had time to really think about their shouting match, what with his contracts and his new and bold architect plans covering the floors and ceilings of his office.

It all changes when Claudia unexpectedly died on the coldest day of winter. Derek watches from the hallway as Stiles, tears rolling down his cheeks, take his mom’s lifeless hand in his, his head resting on her bed. Something clenches in his chest. Noah kisses his wife’s cold cheek and forehead, crying softly. Derek’s eyes welled with tears, sniffling softly.

‘’Come,’’ Talia’s soft voice says. ‘’Leave them have their moment,’’ she guides Derek away from the room, and from the big window of the hallway, snowflakes caress the glass gently, sobs echoing through the house.

Derek, for the first time since he met Stiles, don’t look at him with bitterness, or disdain. He keeps his distance with the younger boy for a few days, until the day of the funeral. Derek, dressed all in black, stands alongside his sisters and his parents. Almost everybody from town, and even friends and relatives from across the country showed up. Derek is actually surprised to see so many people, but then again, Claudia Stilinski was a well liked, good-hearted person. And she’s gone too soon. Stiles throws a single sunflower in the hole, claiming it’s his mom’s favorite flower.

They had decided to bury her behind the house, under a willow tree. After the funeral, Stiles is nowhere to be found, until Derek finds him sitting on a secluded fountain, almost hidden by the snow.

‘’I’m not in the mood right now,’’ Stiles says instantly as he notices Derek approaching. The older boy doesn’t say anything, just shrugs and sits on the cold fountain, next to Stiles. He waits for the younger boy to be ready to talk. ‘’It’s not fair,’’ he says in a trembling voice.

‘’I know,’’ Derek agrees, and it’s probably the first thing they ever agreed on. ‘’I know,’’ he repeats and the now ten-year-old boy looks at Derek through tears. He sniffles.

‘’You’re not being mean to me,’’ he observes.

“And you’re not being a smart ass,’’ Derek gently retorts with a smirk. He nudges Stiles’ shoulder with his, and the younger boy chuckles wetly, even if it was short lived.

But this short conversation sitting on a frozen, secluded fountain is the beginning of a long, sweet, yet perilous friendship.

**-X-**

**Summer, 1936.**

Slowly, but surely, Claudia’s passing became less and less painful, until one day, the pain lessened, and the smiles, and laughter echo in the Hale mansion once more. One unlikely person to help Stiles overcome this obscure moment in his life is Derek. After their talk at the funeral, they had a silent agreement, almost like a peace offering. Derek gave him a leading hand, guiding him through the hard times of losing someone he loves. Derek’s walls start to collide as well, smiling more in Stiles’ presence, and embracing his newfound friendship with the younger boy.

Four years later, they are attached to the hips; best friends tied tightly together.

**-X-**

‘’Derek,’’ Stiles says. Derek grunts in response, but does not look away from his book. ‘’Derek,’’ Stiles repeats more urgently. Derek grunts again, then Stiles shoves his shoulder. ‘’ _Derek_!’’

‘’What?’’ Derek hisses, annoyed that his friend interrupt his reading.

‘’Look,’’ Stiles says, unperturbed by Derek’s foul mood. Derek follows Stiles’ dreamy gaze. They are sitting on the grass in one of the parks in the village like they always do on the hot, summer days. They are on the upper class side of the town, with beautiful, neat houses and just like it is of Polish tradition almost, the houses are just as colorful as the next.

Across the park on the cobbled street, a girl around fourteen, steps out of black, elegant rolls Royce. Soon after her, an old man, probably his father, steps out of the car as well. He looks imposing, back straight and chest first, dressed head to toe in a military attire with countless medals on his vest.

Derek frowns and looks at Stiles, frowning, not seeing what his friend had seen. Seeing a man, a military man of his scale can be quite a sight to see in this small town, but then again, it happens quite often recently.

‘’She’s beautiful,’’ Stiles utters breathlessly.

‘’Ah,’’ Derek says, nodding and smiling at his friend’s obvious crush. When he watches her again, before she disappears in a house, he can see the appeal. Alabaster skin, long red locks, red big lips, and a lean figure. She’s only a child, probably only fourteen or fifteen, so she will grow more into her looks and what a stunner she will be. Derek can’t really make fun of Stiles; he was just as speechless as he was when he first met Paige, a beautiful girl from Warsaw. Instead of making fun of him, Stiles had helped him get the girl. She moved away shortly after, but that was his first girlfriend when he was fourteen. ‘’Little Stiles has a crush,’’ Derek sings song, and it earns him a hard punch on the shoulder. ‘’Ouch!’’ he says, laughing as he rubs his arm.

‘’Seriously though, who is she?’’ Stiles asks.

‘’How should I know? Do you know every girl in this town?’’

‘’No,’’ Stiles admits. ‘’But I will remember her,’’

‘’Her name is Lydia Martin,’’ Cora says as she approaches the boys, sitting crossed legs next to Stiles. ‘’She’s American, from Boston. Her family is super rich. She moved here, because her father is in the military. He’s a commander, or something fancy like that. Hence all the badges.’’ She says casually.

Stiles gapes at Cora, then turns his head to talk to Derek. ‘’How does your sister knows everything? She literally knows everything,’’ he mumbles, annoyed.

‘’Why are you doing here?’’ Derek asks her little sister, mildly annoyed. He loves his time with his best friend, and he hates when his sisters interrupt his time with Stiles. He’s not jealous, or possessive. But that’s his best friend, dammit. ‘’Aren’t you supposed to be home, and learn how to knit or something?’’ he asks smugly, because he knows Cora hates that their mother wants her to learn all these things.

Derek loves his sister, but they are the polar opposites. While he gets along well with his older sister now gone in college, they act more like good friends. With Cora, he likes going under her skin like a big brother would.

Cora groans in response. ‘’It’s for girls,’’

‘’You’re a girl,’’ Stiles retorts.

‘’Not a typical girl,’’ she adds and Derek has to agree with that. ‘’I don’t want to wear stupid dresses, or learn how to cook, or how to knit!’’

‘’Good luck telling mom that,’’

‘’I told her a million times, she’s stubborn,’’ Cora says. ‘’Anyways. Why are you interested in miss perfect?’’

“She’s perfect, isn’t she?’’ Stiles says breathlessly, cheeks pink with arousal.

‘’Ew. Never mind, I got my answer,’’ Cora says, making a disgusted face.

‘’How do you know about her?’’ Derek asks.

‘’She’s going to be in my school,’’ Cora replies, rolling her eyes. ‘’It’s our duty, as fellow students, to know about each other,’’

‘’I think I’m in love,’’ Stiles says, laying fully in the grass. Derek taps his book on Stiles’ belly and he squirms in protest. Derek lays next to Stiles. ‘’Her strawberry blonde hair, her lips, her eyes, her skin…’’

‘’You’re pathetic, Stilinski,’’ Cora comments. Stiles tugs his tongue out at her.

‘’I think it’s sweet,’’ Derek defends Stiles.

‘’I think I liked you better when you hated Stiles’ guts,’’ she says as she stands up. ‘’You’re both pathetic,’’ She leaves them be, and then Stiles says in all seriousness: ‘’You heard the lady; you’re pathetic.’’

“You are, too,’’ Derek retorts, poking his side. Stiles laughs loudly, and squirm away from Derek’s poking.

‘’I guess it’s okay, because we are pathetic together,’’ Stiles says as he tangles his fingers through Derek and they both watch the white clouds slowly moving above them.

 

 

**-X-**

The carnival is Derek’s favorite thing during the summer, and with the carousels, the games, the candyflosses, and the Ferris wheel, it reminds him of his old home, in California. Stiles and Derek always spend the whole week every year at the carnival while it’s in town in mid august, just before they go back to school.

Derek and Stiles, attached to the hips for nearly four years, are always getting into trouble in the carnival, but it doesn’t stop them from sneaking out from under their parents’ watchful gazes. It’s even more special because Laura comes back home every summer from college and here she was, laughing out loud at something Stiles said. It’s the same thing every year. The same music, the same Ferris wheel, the same candyfloss, the same trouble Stiles and Derek are getting into. But that year, something is different. That year, someone new in town caught Stiles’ attention.

‘’Derek,’’ Stiles hisses as he stops in his tracks. ‘’ _Derek_ , look!’’

And there’s that girl again, chatting with Cora as they wait in line to go on the Ferris wheel.

‘’It’s Lydia,’’ Stiles says, breathlessly.

‘’Who’s Lydia?’’ Laura asks.

‘’That girl with Cora. Stiles is mooning over her,’’ Derek replies, rolling his eyes good naturally.

‘’Wait,’’ Stiles says, putting an arm across from Derek’s chest to stop him from walking. ‘’Cora knows her?’’ he screeches and Laura winces at the noise. ‘’She literally knows her? How come she knows her?’’

‘’Cora can’t have friends, now?’’ Laura asks with a smile.

‘’Not with her frowny face, it’s unlikely. Especially girls. She hates everything that’s girly and Lydia Martin is probably the epitome of girly things,’’ Stiles says. ‘’Oh my god, she’s looking our way. She’s looking our way!’’ he says excitingly.

‘’With the way you yell and jump everywhere, everybody is looking at us,’’ Derek murmurs, embarrassed, but by now, he’s pretty used by his friend’s antics. Cora waves at them, and Stiles, not even a word said, is almost running to them.

‘’He’s going to scare her off,’’ Derek laments, but follows his friend at a slower pace, his sister next to him.

‘’Hi, Hi, hey,’’ Stiles says, his attention entirely on Lydia who delicately arches a manicured eyebrow at him. ‘’I’m Mieczyslaw, but everybody calls me Stiles. You? Shit, I mean, I know your name is Lydia. Lydia Martin. From Boston. I mean, I’m not stalking you or anything, but Cora told me. Cora is my best friend’s sister. Derek. I mean, my best friend’s name is Derek. Derek Hale. Fellow American, but like across the country. He’s from California. Have you ever been there?’’

Nobody speaks, but they all look at Stiles with different expression; Lydia with a bored expression, Cora and Laura both look amused and slightly embarrassed on Stiles’ behalf, and Derek speaks up to save some of Stiles’ dignity.

‘’I’m Derek Hale,’’  

‘’I gathered that much,’’ Lydia says, looking him up and down with a smirk.  

‘’And I’m Laura Hale,’’ Laura says, arching an eyebrow, challenging the second most beautiful girl in town; Derek silently rolls his eyes and huffs. It’s always like that; Laura challenges other girls to make sure they know she’s above them all, both in beauty and in grace.

‘’Pleasure to meet you,’’ Lydia says politely, but Derek can decipher something dangerous beneath the smooth surface. Not something to be afraid of, but looking at her green eyes, her calculating gaze, her straight back, or square shoulders and Derek can see she’s the kind of girls you don’t want to mess with, but she’s also the most loyal person you will ever meet.

‘’Likewise,’’ Stiles retorts, entranced by her beauty. But once again, she’s unmoved by him and Derek’s hackles rise. He may not have been always there for Stiles at the beginning, but now he’s one hundred percent in the picture, and he can tell that any girl should be lucky to be called his. To be called _his_ girl. He’s sensitive, funny, and sweet and if Lydia Martin can’t see it, then she’s an idiot. She’s not as smart as Cora leads him to believe when she talks about her at home. ‘’I like your necklace,’’ Stiles says as they move in line, waiting to go on the Ferris wheel. For the first time, Lydia acknowledges him.

‘’Thank you,’’ she says. ‘’It was my grandmother’s.’’

‘’It’s beautiful. It’s… pretty. And green. Like you! I mean, green like your eyes. You have pretty eyes,’’ he says with a nervous laugh.

They keep talking, even though Stiles does almost all the talking. Derek gently pushes him forward to go sit in the same booth as Lydia, even though she seriously considered not going on the ride anymore.

‘’Do you think she’s interested?’’ Derek asks Laura when they sit together, with Cora in the middle.

‘’The kid is talking about airplane figurines and how cool and revolutionary it would be to have a woman as a superhero,’’ Laura says. ‘’He’s a lost cause.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Cora agrees. ‘’That guy is a loser,’’

‘’Well, if Lydia can’t see how great Stiles is, she doesn’t deserve him,’’ Derek retorts plainly, feeling the urge to defend Stiles. They don’t understand how awesome Stiles can be, or how listening to him talking about something as mundane as airplanes figurines, coming from Stiles’ mouth and how passionate he is about things, is enthralling.

Derek can’t even enjoy the ride, or be excited about how high they are, when everything he’s thinking about is what Stiles and Lydia are talking about and how, from his gaze, he wants to burn Lydia’s red flaming hair.

**-X-**

For the rest of the evening, Stiles spent the majority of his time tagging along with Cora and Lydia. Derek spent his time with Laura, absently watching Stiles as he told, yet again, another story to a bored looking Lydia.

‘’Do you like her or something?’’ Laura had asked, taking a warm doughnut from a brown paper bag.

‘’What?’’ he had asked, tearing his gaze from the trio.

‘’Lydia, silly. Since we met her, you won’t stop looking at her,’’ Derek bites his tongue, he was looking at Stiles, not _her._ He just wants to make sure his best friend is okay. He shrugs, letting her believing whatever she wants.

It’s now dark outside, and Laura and Cora went home. Derek is looking around the fair in search of Stiles to see if he’s ready to go home; he had seen him disappear with Lydia a while ago.

He finally sees him, sitting on a wooden bench next to a carousel. He looks sad, pensive.

‘’Hey, there,’’ Derek says as he sits next to his friend. ‘’What are you doing here? It’s time to go home,’’ he says as he nudges Stiles’ shoulder with his. ‘’Where’s Lydia?’’ he asks.

‘’She left a while ago.’’ Stiles replies in a bitter voice.

‘’What happened?’’ 

‘’What do you think happened? I scared her off.’’ He snaps. He sighs, shaking his head. ‘’She said nothing will ever happened between us.’’

‘’Then she’s stupid. You deserve better,’’

‘’Why am I always doing that?’’ he whines. ‘’I’m always so obsessed with someone, or I’m hyperactive and weird.’’

‘’You’re not too obsessed. You just love too much. Which is a good thing.’’ Derek assures him. ‘’You care about people, Stiles. And… being hyperactive or weird is just a part of who you are. And I happen to like this about you,’’

‘’You’re obliged to like it about me. You’re my best friend,’’ he huffs.

‘’And as your best friend, I’m obliged to say that Lydia is a stupid girl for not giving you a chance. You’re incredible, Stiles.’’ Derek mumbles.

‘’Lydia is actually very smart,’’ Stiles says, still trying to defend her. He deflates a little bit, hunching his shoulders. ‘’I just- I don’t know, Derek. I’m stupid. I’ve always thought that I was going to find that special person, and that would be it. I know now how foolish it is, but I really thought it was going to be love at first sight, you know?’’ Stiles gives Derek a sad, private smile. ‘’I would fall madly in love with someone, and that someone would feel the same.’’

Derek doesn’t know what to say to that. He never really thought too much about great love, and what it all means. Sure, he had Paige for a short while, but he had never discussed love and relationships with Stiles.

‘’You’re fourteen years old,’’ Derek says at last. ‘’You still have time to find that special someone,’’

‘’I know,’’ Stiles says. ‘’It just… I wanted what my parents had, you know? They talked about it all the time and I foolishly thought this is going to happen with me and Lydia.’’

‘’How did your parents meet?’’ Derek asks, surprised it has never came up in conversations before. Stiles chuckles lightly, lost in memories.

‘’My mom was from Krakow, from a very rich family. She moved to New York with her family when she was sixteen. Ma dad was also from Poland, but came to America when he was eighteen. They met at an ice cream parlor and they fell in love and that was it. As simple as that… but my mom’s parents didn’t approve of the union. So they ran away. When they heard my mom was pregnant with me, they officially disowned her.’’ He explains. ‘’That’s not the happiest story ever, but it’s theirs.’’

‘’It’s a beautiful love story, Stiles. You’ll have that someday. Just… maybe not with Lydia,’’ he jokes.

‘’And you, big guy? Finding love, yet?’’ Stiles asks with a laugh.

Derek makes a face and rolls his eyes. ‘’Girls are not that interesting in this town,’’ he truthfully answers.

‘’Don’t worry,’’ Stiles says as he stands up. ‘’I’m sure you’ll find a suitable, book smart girl in that fancy university of yours,’’ Derek stands up as well.

‘’I don’t think I’ll have the time,’’ Stiles rolls his eyes at that.

‘’You always say that! You’re going to college, and you’re going to have a fancy job,’’ Stiles says as he pinches Derek’s side. ‘’But don’t forget to have some fun, too, yeah? For me?’’

‘’Yeah, okay,’’ Derek agrees, because he will do anything Stiles asks of him.

‘’But don’t forget me, though,’’ Stiles says in an amuse voice, but Derek can still see through him; his uncertainty lacing his voice.

‘’I can’t never forget you. You’re too annoying to forget,’’ Derek adds with a cheeky smile.

‘’Hey!’’ Stiles exclaims. ‘’I resent that,’’ They race each other until they are home, both breathless, but happy.

**-X-**

The first time Derek had seen someone bullying Stiles, he punched the boy and broke his nose. They were enjoying a hot, summer day in Krakow, the last week before Derek had to go to college. It was a tall, broad-shouldered boy who looked eighteen instead of fourteen. Stiles is on the steps of the Corpus Christi Basilica, waiting for Derek to come out from the candy store across the street, when the boy approached him, with a sly smirk. Derek, bag full of candy bars, just had the time to hear: ‘’You filthy Jew!’’ before he roughly pushes Stiles on the steps.

Derek sees red.

‘’Hey!’’ he yells as he approaches the pair, the bag with the candy bars all forgotten on the ground. ‘’Get away from him!’’ he says in a harsh voice, but his cold, demanding voice just makes the other boy laugh.

‘’Or you’re going to do what?’’ he asks, still laughing. ‘’He’s asking for it. He’s just a filthy, poor Jewish boy. People like him needs to be put in place,’’ he says harshly as he steps back, ready to strike a good kick in Stiles’ stomach, but before he can do it, Derek punches him. The fight brings attention to them, as Derek was about to strike the fallen boy again, Stiles slides between them.

‘’Step away, Stiles,’’ he says in a rough voice, focusing on the boy nursing his jaw.

‘’No,’’ Stiles shakes his head. ‘’He’s not worth it.’’ He looks around, noticing people staring. ‘’Come on,’’ he says urgently as he sees the other boy starting to get up, fire blazing his eyes. ‘’Let’s go,’’

**-X-**

The bus ride back to the town was silent. Stiles kept avoiding Derek’s eyes and the older boy didn’t push it until later that night. Since Laura moved out to go to college, her bedroom became almost like an honorary bedroom to Stiles when she wasn’t home. The cottage he shares with his dad is cozy, but still rather small. When he wants to get his own space, or time to think about things, he gladly sleeps in Laura’s bedroom and that night, he just wanted to be left alone and think.

Derek knocks on Stiles’ door. The younger boy is laying on his bed, looking at the ceiling. ‘’Can I come in?’’

‘’It’s your house. You do whatever you want,’’ Stiles replies. Derek sits on the bed, cupping Stiles’ foot with his hand. ‘’Do you want to talk about it?’’

‘’… did you tell my dad?’’ he asks in an apprehensive voice.

‘’No,’’ Derek says gently. ‘’Who was he? It looked like he knew you,’’

‘’Why? Because he called me a filthy Jewish boy?’’

‘’I should have punched him twice.’’

Stiles shrugs and his eyes are glistering. He tries his hardest not to cry and he knows Derek won’t judge him. ‘’It’s just these boys at school,’’ he starts. ‘’They keep teasing me. Told me I was different. That I don’t belong here, in Poland. Stuff like that.’’

‘’How long it’s been going on?’’

‘’For about a year, I think.’’

‘’I should have known. I should have protected you,’’ Derek laments, frowning and looking down at the bed. He’s thinking hard, trying to think and find ways to make it easier for Stiles. How can he not know? He’s with Stiles all the time. Except, in school because Derek is four years older than Stiles and his education and his social life in school keeps him from being with Stiles, but _still._ He should have known.

‘’Don’t think too hard, Derek. And don’t blame yourself.’’ Stiles says in a soft voice. ‘’They are just jerks who likes to make fun of the Jewish boy. Remember when kids used to make fun of you because you are American?’’ he asks with a smile. Derek nods and rolls his eyes as he lays next to Stiles.

‘’They were just jealous because they had never seen a palm tree and I have,’’ he mumbles as he takes Stiles’ hand in his, drawing circles on the palm of his hand. They only are close like that behind closed doors, because they had learnt, the hard way, that not everybody really understands their closeness, and their friendship. For them, holding a hand is the most natural, innocent thing in the world, but for some people, it’s a way to start a war. ‘’But I scared them away,’’ Derek retorts.

‘’Yeah,’’ Stiles nods. ‘’With your scary eyebrows and beard. Wait, that’s not even a beard. It’s like a sad excuse of a beard,’’ he says, trying not to laugh at Derek’s expression.

He loves teasing Derek about his beard. He tried to grow it for a few months now, already ready to come out of his awkward teenage phase and becoming a full grown man. He’s getting there, but he still has that boyish charm, a little bit on the lanky side. No matter what Derek wants to say, he’s still a kid, and he still looks like a kid. He hopes university is going to change his physique, but if he changes, Stiles hopes he’s still going to find his old Derek the next time he’s going to see him.

‘’Don’t make fun of my facial hair,’’ Derek says, touching his cheeks. ‘’And you,’’ he says as he touches Stiles hair. ‘’With that short hair. You need to grow it out. Maybe that’s why Lydia didn’t notice you. Girls like some hair on a guy,’’

‘’My hair looks just fine. I wouldn’t change it for a girl,’’ he firmly states, absently touching his buzz cut.

‘’Well, I would like to see it longer. Would you change it for me?’’ he asks innocently, batting his eyelashes in a ridiculous manner.

‘’Only if you stop obsessing about your facial hair.’’

‘’Done,’’ They stay silent for a few minutes, until Stiles breaks the silence.

‘’I’m going to miss you,’’ he murmurs in the quiet room.

“Hey, stop it… I’ll come back for Christmas, and every summer.’’ Derek replies. ‘’But I’m still going to miss you,’’ That’s all Stiles needed to hear.

 

 

 


End file.
